Spirit Baptism
Acts 2:3-4
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n our last study we looked at the subject of Pentecost. Could you explain Pentecost and its significance to someone? When the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and the other believers on the Day of Pentecost, those who heard them speaking in tongues were perplexed and asked,
And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:12 NASB)
“What does this mean?” This question persists in our day. How would you answer this question? What is the meaning of Pentecost? Some answers may be; It’s the fulfillment of prophecy given to Israel. This fits the theme of this book–the restoration of Israel. It was the birth of the Church. It was the inauguration of the New Covenant. It was God indwelling His new temple–His people. All these are true.
But there are many today who believe that Pentecost is a normal Christian experience and that all believers should seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and to speak in tongues. You have probably had other Christians ask you, as I have, “Have you received the baptism with the Holy Spirit?” If you have not spoken in tongues, they are eager to help you have this experience for yourself. What is the meaning of Pentecost? We all need to answer this question biblically, in light of the context:
And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1 NASB)
Pentecost is Greek name for the Jewish feast day of Shavuot. Pentecost is called the season of the giving of the Torah in Hebrew, because this is the literal day that God revealed Himself to the people of Israel as they stood at the base of Mount Sinai. Fifty three days after the first Passover in Egypt, the Law was given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, written upon tables of stone. This was Shavuot or Pentecost. On this day God entered into a covenant with Israel after the flesh. God married Israel.
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So on the first Pentecost the Old Covenant was given to Israel–this was a type. Then almost 1600 years later on the last Pentecost the New Covenant was given to the new Israel–this is the anti-type. When the New Covenant arrived what happened to the Old Covenant? Did it end that day? No, it was transitioned out over the next forty years.
Fifty three days after the final Passover was sacrificed, the Law was given to the "Israel of God," written upon their hearts by the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 3:3), thus fulfilling God’s promise to Israel:
And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:4-5 NASB)
The promised Spirit had arrived. And notice what happened:
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 and there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. (Acts 2:2-3 NASB)
Pentecost was an audiovisual experience. Notice that there was no wind, but “a noise” like wind–this would get their attention. The Greek word used here for wind is pnoe [pnoh/]. It is most often translated “breath of life.” Luke uses this particular word here to stress the life-giving breath of God, as symbolized by the sound of wind. God was breathing into His Church the breath of life. The New Covenant was inaugurated.
Notice also that there are tongues of fire. What is the significance of this? Throughout the Scriptures, fire is always a sign of God’s presence among His people. Note how at Pentecost the manifestation of the flaming presence of God is not positioned over a tent as it was in the Old Covenant. This time it is over PEOPLE. Why? Because they are the new tabernacle–the dwelling place of God. God is descending in fire on the new temple of His people by His Spirit. This is the promise of the New Covenant:
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And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea . (Revelation 21:1 NASB)
Most Christians see this as heaven or what they call the eternal state, but this is speaking of the New Covenant. Hang on and I’ll attempt to prove this.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2 NASB)
The New Heaven and Earth is the New Jerusalem and according to Scripture the New Jerusalem is the New Covenant:
This is allegorically speaking: for these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. (Galatians 4:24-26 NASB)
Paul speaks here of two Covenants–the old and new. The old is Mount Sinai and the new is the Jerusalem above. The New Jerusalem is the new Covenant.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2 NASB)
Now watch the next verse:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, (Revelation 21:3 NASB)
In the New Jerusalem God dwells among His people. Paul told the Corinthians that they were God’s dwelling place:
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. (2 Corinthians 6:16 NASB)
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When you compare what Paul says here with what John say in Revelation 21:3 you see that they are talking about the same thing. Believers, the Church is God’s temple and it has been ever since Pentecost. Our God is not, up there, out there, some where; He is with us, He dwells in us, we are His people.
This is the significance of Pentecost. I said last week that this is the immersion in the Holy Spirit which had been promised by Jesus, and for which the apostles had been waiting since His ascension.
This audible coming of the Spirit is said to have "filled the whole house where they were sitting." That is, the people in the house were totally "immersed" in the Spirit. This, people, is the baptism of the Spirit. In His initial coming the Spirit descended from heaven in a unique way, but the result of what He does is the same today. He baptizes us into the Body of Christ; He makes us a partaker of Christ; He places us firmly and securely in Christ; He joins us together, in the same Spirit, to all of the redeemed.
I want us to spend the rest of our time this morning looking at the subject of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” As with any biblical subject there are many conflicting viewpoints as to what the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" consists of, when it happens, why it happens. As I said at the beginning of this message If you have been a Christian for any length of time you most likely have been asked this question at one time or another. "Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?" What do you say when somebody asks you that question? How do you know if you have been? Can you answer them biblically?
This is, a very significant subject, it is something that all believers should understand and be able to articulate as part of their Pneumatology. Many in the Church have taught a dichotomy as to the believer’s salvation and baptism by the Spirit. In other words you are saved and then some time after that (if you do the right things) you are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at a little history that may help us in understanding the various teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
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Some Catholic theologians have taught that when an infant is baptized, he receives salvation. Years later when he is confirmed, he receives the Holy Spirit. So, the dichotomy has its roots in Roman Catholicism.
It also has its roots in John Wesley, Charles Finney, R. A. Torrey, and others. In fact, Torrey has been one of the greatest contributors to the modern Pentecostal movement despite the fact that he himself was not a Pentecostal. When he taught that the baptism of the Spirit was a later work, they quoted him because he was such a well-known evangelical, mainline theologian.
John Wesley taught that you were saved first and then later on there was a second work of grace subsequent to salvation. John Wesley's biographers say that he died never having attained that second work.
In 1906 at the Azusa street mission in Los Angels California Pentecostalism was born; this is commonly referred to as classical Pentecostalism. In 1960 the Pentecostal movement spilled over into mainline denominations of Protestantism; that extension is called Neo-Pentecostalism. And Neo-Pentecostalism has rapidly spread through all of the major denominations in Protestantism. The basic doctrine of Neo-Pentecostalism is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So central is this doctrine that if you were to remove it what you had left would not be Neo-Pentecostalism.
Here is what Neo-Pentecostalism teaches on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (See if you agree with these statements.)
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Above are the five theses of Spirit baptism as taught by Neo-Pentecostalism today.
In 1967 Neo-Pentecostalism struck out in two new directions, the Roman Catholic movement and the Charismatic movement. One of the cardinal doctrines held by Charismatics is the necessity for a "second work of grace", commonly called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many Charismatic writers suggest that there are requirements to receiving the gift. They talk much about the cost of the gift. (Oxymoron)
Charismatic writer Robert Dalton expressed the element of effort when he said, "This experience is not for a select few, but for all who desire it and are willing to pay the price."
Donald Gee a leading Pentecostal has written. "What is the unique thing that makes the Pentecostal movement a definite separate entity? It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance."
Much of the confusion can be cleared up if we would simply go to the Scriptures. If you were to sit down with your Bible and a concordance and begin to study the baptism with the Holy Spirit (most people don't study–they believe what others have told them) some things might surprise you. The first thing that may surprise you is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is never mentioned in the First Testament. The Spirit was active in the First Testament, but the baptism with the Holy Spirit is never mentioned.
The second thing that may surprise you is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is mentioned only 9 times in the Second Testament. From these 9 passages four major aspects of the doctrine are presented.
A. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is promised:
five of the nine passages deal with the promise of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is first mentioned in:
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"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12 NASB)
Who does the baptizing? Jesus. Who is the agent? The Holy Spirit. It is not the baptism "of" the Holy Spirit, but the baptism with/by the Holy Spirit. When does it take place? At a future time of this writing. It did not take place until after the Lord ascended into heaven and took his seat on the right hand of the Father. This future aspect is mentioned in all four gospels, and in Acts 1.
"I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:8 NASB)